Apparatus for processing a thread



April 23, 1957 1. WIZON ,7

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A THREAD Filed Nov. 15, 1952 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INYENTOIR I //P V//Y W/ZON A ril 23, 19s? I. WIZON 2,789,368

- APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING A THREAD Filed Nov. 15', 1952 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 X INVENTOR /A/ /A W/ZO/V,

AM; a W ATTORNEY and temperature. Apparatus suitablefor carrying o States APPARATUS FUR PROQESSING A THREAD Application November 15, 1952, Serial No, 320,696 12;Claims. (Cl. 34--68) This invention relates to certain new and usefu'lim- 'provcments in apparatus ,for processing a thread or continuous filament (including both monoand multifilament'), and especially a thread or filament formed of synthetic material, specifically one which is constituted essentially of a polymer of acrylonitrile. More particularlythe invention is concerned with certain improvements in 'aiportion of the apparatus disclosed in Cresswell and Wizo n -Patent Nos. 2,558,733, dated July 3, 195 1, and 2,614,289, dated October 21, 1952, the latter patent maturingfrom an application that was filed as a division of the application that matured into the earlier patent.

Theaforementioned Cresswell and Wizon patents are ir ct d o a p s (2, 3,7 3) nd appa atus {2 14,- 239') r th prsdu o s f l ynt e c, elong ted articles such, for example, as continuous filament yarns t r ad a e pe l y th e rm o hs' spoly ns or-copo'lymeric acrylonitrile. One embodiment of the discl sed and la med p ss nv nt o i d ect t th cont uous-p o u t o o uch articles C r a n it' 'psc i n c sssar conce n d t the cont uous ry n of advancing helices of a gelled fiber or filament whilethe fiber is undertension, after which it is continuously passed,

le relaxed an f e o ont a linearluthwgh I heatedzone under certain particular conditions 9 pr is s w i g, ac o t e f rem'sn Crssswell P nt this pa t cu a apparatu bein road y n p s fi l y c a m in P e NQ- .2t6.l ,2.&9.

"It, will be noted from an inspection of Fig. 3 feaehof the i ss l st Pat t -that th wet o g e filamen or thread iscontinuously dried while it is advancing, u d'er tension, in a helical path from the feed-on end to the Off end f sra of p ce cyl n ica emu crests yi s rolls; and that the dried thread is. then passed from the discharge or take-01f end .of the said rolls through a he att s ns sis-called e axa n f rnace, whi h eparate from the said rolls, and through which the ispassed While. it is relaxed and free to contract in order ftu'ther to enhance its useful properties.

. i a pr m ry obj ct of hsprssan invention to prov d e ta n n w and u eful app r u impro em nt a hi III the p du ion f c nti s fi ament y rn or tlztrea l.

Another obj c of he inv ntion is t pr vide a th ea gui ed-improved design, and sp ci lly on whi h .i adap e lo e in orpora d i a mach the h n identified in th p eceding para raph Still another and important obj c of h in en io s i provide an improved apparatus for the treatment of a wet thread (including a gelled thread) wherebymore satisiactosy and effective operations are effected, thread .damage ,isobviated or minimized, and threads. having more uniform properties are obtained.

Another-object, of the-invention ,is to provide apparatus .oftthe. aforementioned kind andwlrieh additionally Permits quickly removing wrap-ups from drying 119. 1 so; that atetrt O Patented Apr. .23, 19.57

'ice

2 damage to'the roll-assembly is avoided and operations can be quickly resumed.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those sliil'l'ed, 'in the art as the description of the invention proceeds.

The novel features of my invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be understood most readily from the following detailed description thereof when considered in connection with thefaccompanying drawing-which is illustrative thereof and in WhiCh Fig. 1 is an end view of apparatus embodying my insnt n;

Fig, 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of {the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, a portion thereof being hown as br ke away;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, pulled apart for purpose of clarity, of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and; and'illustrative of one form of a device embodied in h p esent n en figs. 4 and 5 are elevational views, in two different positions, of the device shown in Fig. 3,; V

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of another forin of device embodied in the present invention; and

Fig. 7 is an exploded, perspective view, partly broken away, 'ofthe device shown in Fig. '6.

Dire of the prohlerns encountered in the practicing of the process car u by th .usetof, r a p spparatus of the kind illustrated in Fig. 3 of the aforementioned Cresswell et al. patents has been the difiiculty in maintaining the dried thread in a fixed position during its passage, while relaxed and free to contract linearly, through the heat-treating furnace or zone. This has result,ed in non-uniform heat treatment and consequent irregularity in shrinkage and elongation characteristics, and i'nother properties, of the heat-treated thread. Also, difiiculties have arisen and machine damage has resulted from -wrjap-ups of the thread during drying, caused by break- I in-vthe operation of a continuous-spinning machine of the described in the aforementioned Cresswell et al. patents, and especially that portion thereof which has to do with. the continuous drying of advancing helices'of the thread under tension followed by continuous heat treatment of the dried thread in a relaxed state, are obviated by means of theapparatus of the present invention.

In using the apparatus of my invention a wet thread, for example a gelled thread of a polymer of acrylonitrile of the kind described in the aforementioned Cresswcll et al. patents, is caused to move continuously under tension through a helical path having a multiplicity of turns by feeding the thread to the feed-on end of a pair of spaced, converging drying rolls. The wet thread is dried as it advancescontinuously under tension over the surfaces of these rolls, after which the dry thread, while relaxed and free to contract linearly, is continuously passed through another heating zone. These steps just briefly described, and the apparatus employed in performing them, are essential'lythe same as those set forth in the aforesaid Cress- I et al. patents, and are incorporated in the specificationof this application by this reference thereto' This process :is improved to secure better and more uniform tiaraand"which is based on my discovery that the afore- Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof. The apparatus there shown is suit- I able for use in continuously drying a wet thread and comprises rotatable drying means including two positively driven drums or rolls 10 and 12, suitably spaced from each other, e. g., 6 or 8 inches or more, suspended in the same plane (preferably in the same vertical plane), and rotating at the same peripheral speed. The rolls converge toward each other at the delivery end thereby to advance the thread over the rolls. The degree of convergency, which has been somewhat exaggerated for purpose of clarity in Fig. 2, may be varied as desired or as conditions may require in order to advance the thread in a plurality of helices over the rolls. Both rolls may converge slightly toward each other at the delivery end with the axis of each inclined to the horizontal or with the axis of one inclined to the horizontal while the other is horizontal.

The angle of convergency formed between the drying rolls at the take-off end cannot be specified with exactness, since it is dependent upon various influencing factors such,

for example, as the diameters of the drying rolls, the distance or space between the rolls, and the thickness or.

diameter of the wet thread, e. g., stretched, gelled fiber or filament formed of a polymer of acrylonitrile, which is fed to the rolls. For usual operations, however, the angle of convergency of the drying rolls may range, for instance, from 0.1 to 2. The fol-lowing is a more specific example of a suitable angle of convergency of the drying rolls, as well as a suitable angle of convergency of liquidtreating rolls which are employed in a continuous-spinning machine of the kind shown in Fig. 3 of the aforementioned Cresswell et al. patents and of which the present invention embraces an improvement:

With liquid-treating rolls 4 inches in diameter, 13 inches long and on 7-inch centers at the back (feed-on end), an angle of convergency of 3 1 at the take-off end is useful in combination with drying rolls, 4 inches in diameter, 12 inches long, on 6 /2 inch centers at the back (feed-on end) and adjusted to an angle of convergency of 31' at the take-01f end. Such angles of convergency and difference between the angles of the respective liquid-treating and drying rolls are suitable for use in spinning a fiber of an acrylonitrile polymerization product, as described more fully in the aforementioned Cresswell et al. patents,

which fiber, after being stretched about, for example, 600

to 1000%, yields a final fiber (dried and further heattreated fiber) having a denier within the range of about 50 to about 400.

If desired, the rolls 10 and 12 may be tilted at a suitable angle to the horizontal, e. g., at an angle of approximately 5 to the horizontal. Either or both of the rolls may be heated by any suitable means. For example, the rolls may be heated and the advancing thread dried by blowing a a blast of hot air or other hot gas over the surfaces of either .In the case of drying a continuous gelled thread of a polymer of acrylonitrile, the rolls are preferably internally heated so as to provide a surface temperature on the exterior of the rolls within the range of about 40 C. to about 200 C, more particularly within the range of about 50 .Or 60 C. to 100 or 120 C. Thus, either or both of the hollow rolls or drums 10 and 12 may be in-' ternally heated electrically, or by steam, hot air or other gas, hot water or by any other suitable means. Preferably" the drying unit, including the rolls and heating elements thereof, are constructed in the manner described and claimed in the copending application of Victor G. Forzley and Mario Sonnino, Serial No. 233,154, filed June 23, 1951, now Patent No. 2,622,182, dated December 16, 1952.

If the wet thread which is being dried on the rolls 10 and 12 is one which normally tends to accumulate a static charge of electricity while the thread is advancing and drying during its passage in the form of advancing helices over the rolls, then an antistatic finishing composition is applied to the wet therad by suitable means, e. g., in the manner described in the aforementioned Cresswell et al. patents.

The wet thread 14 advances under tension in a helical path, from the feed-on or rear end of the drying unit comprising rolls 10 and 12 toward the take-ofi. or forward end thereof. From the take-off or discharge end the dry, relaxed thread 16 is led, while free to contract linearly, through the heat-treating furnace 18. For information on the construction of this furnace and means employed to effect relaxation of the thread during its passage therethrough, reference is made to the aforementioned Cresswell et a1. patents. See these patents, also, for information as the time and temperature of thus heat-treating a dry thread formed of a polymer of acrylonitrile while it is relaxed and free to contract linearly. A preferred heattreating or relaxation furnace is disclosed and claimed in the copending application of Mario Sonnino'and Victor G. Forzley, Serial No. 315,338, filed October 17, 1952, now Patent No. 2,688,067, dated August 31, 1954.

In the furnaces used in continuously heat-treating a running thread in relaxed state, the thread is generally passed through a slot, the walls of which are electrically or otherwise heated. Deviations in the position of the running thread, with respect to the heated Walls defining the slots or zone, of about 1 5 of an inch in some cases or a little as about A of an inch in other cases can cause non-uniform results, the permissible degree of deviation (without adversely alfecting the results) depending upon such influencing factor as the chemical constitution of the thread being heat treated and the temperature of the adjacent walls. The present invention prevents the thread from any substantial deviation from a fixed position, with respect to the walls defining the slot 20, while it is passing through the heated slot, and provides positive control of its relative position therein.

The aforementioned results are obtained by the use of a suitable thread-guide unit or assembly, e. g., the unit or assembly 22 (Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive); or advantageously, for reasons later given herein, a unit of the kind illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

During operation of the apparatu the thread guide 24, which advantageously is provided with the head 26, maintains contact with the dry, tensioned thread 28 on one side of the spaced rolls 10 and 12, and keeps it in a fixed position with respect to its point of discharge, in a relaxed state, from the opposite side of said rolls. The thread guide 24 is located adjacent the take-off end of the spaced rolls 10 and 12 at a point where it will contact only the last" run of the dry thread before it leaves the said rolls. Advantageously the thread guide is held by a support which is positioned between the upper roll 10 and the lower roll 12 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The thread guide 24 is made of any suitable smooth, tough, relatively heat-resistant material such as ceramic material or a synthetic resin, e. g., polymeric tetrafluoroethylene which is available under the trade name of Teflon. The remainder of the device, as well as that shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is advantageously made of metal, e. g., steel. l q

The base 30 is provided with the opening 34 through which passes the support 32, the latter preferably being cylindrical in hape. The base is mounted on the support 32 between a front collar 33 (Fig. 2), which is rigidly but removably attached to the said support, and a similarly attached rear collar 36. Stop 38 in the base 30 and pins 40 and 42 which are fixed as indicated in the rear collar 36 maintain the 'guide 24 in its normal operating position as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and restrict its movement when it is swung to a non-operating position as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 and as further shown in Fig. 5. v

The thread-guide unit or assembly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 represents another embodiment of the present invention, and has certain advantages over the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive. This is because the construction is such that the thread guide 44 is held in a base 46, which latter in turn is pivotally mounted in the support 48, as i clearly illustrated in the exploded, perspective view shown in Fig. 7. The thread guide 44 is swung backward when it is in a normal operating position, its backward movement being restricted by the stop 50. When the guide is swung forward, its further forward motion is restricted by the stop 52.

Use of the thread-guide unit illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 obviates the difliculties and machine damage that sometimes occur from wrap-ups, as has been mentioned hereinbefore. With the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the banded together threads or wraps will force the guide 44 forward out of the way, thereby permitting rapid removal of the bands from the rolls. In this way there is provided an automatic safety feature which is not afforded by the thread-guide unit illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

I claim:

1. Apparatus suitable for use in continuously drying a wet thread comprising rotatable drying means including a pair of spaced, converging, drying rolls adapted to receive and support the wet thread at the feed-on end and to advance it, while under tension, in a helical path toward the take-off end; and a thread guide which, in operation, maintain contact with the dry thread on one side of the said spaced rolls and keeps it in a fixed position with respect to its point of discharge, in a relaxed state, from the opposite side of said rolls, said thread guide being located adjacent the take-off end of the said rolls at a point where it will contact only the last run of the dry thread before it leaves the said rolls.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the drying rolls are spaced, converging, drying rolls which are suspended in the same vertical plane.

3. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the drying rolls are spaced, cylindrical, converging, drying rolls which are suspended in the same vertical plane, and the thread guide is held by a support which is positioned between said rolls.

4. Apparatus suitable for use in continuously drying a wet thread comprising rotatable drying means including a pair of spaced, converging, drying rolls adapted to receive and support the wet thread at the feed-on end and to advance it, while under tension, in a helical path toward the take-off end; and a thread-guide unit comprising a support, a base pivotally mounted on said support between a front collar and a rear collar each of which is rigidly but removably attached to said support, said base being provided with an opening through which said support passes, a thread guide held rigidly in position in said base, a stop in said base, and at least two pins in said rear collar, said stop and pins being so positioned that the said stop and one of said pin can maintain the said guide in its normal operating position, and the said stop and another of said pins restricting the movement of said guide when it is swungto a non-operating posi tion, said thread guide, when in operation, maintaining contact .with the dry thread on one side of the said spaced rolls and keeping it in a fixed position with respect to the point of discharge, in a relaxed state, from the oppo site side of said rolls.

5. Apparatus comprising, in combination, rotatable drying means including a pair of spaced, converging, drying rolls adapted to receive and support a wet thread at the feed-on end and to advance it, .while under tension; in a helical path toward the take-off end; a heat-treating; furnace in operative relationship with the takefofi end of said drying rolls and which is adapted to receive the dry thread for passage therethrough in a relaxed state,.saidfurnace being separate from the said drying rolls;.and a thread guide which, in operation, maintains contact 'with.

the dry thread on one side of said spaced rolls andkeeps the said thread in a fixed position with respect to the said furnace when it leaves the opposite side of the said rolls in a relaxed state, said thread guide being located adjacent the take-ofi end of the said rolls at a point where it will contact only the last run of the dry thread before it leaves the said rolls.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the drying rolls are spaced,converging, drying rolls which are suspended in the same vertical plane.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the thread guide is held by a support which is positioned between the drying rolls.

8. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the drying rolls are spaced, cylindrical, converging, drying rolls which are suspended in the same vertical plane, and the thread guide is held by a support which is positioned between said rolls.

9. A thread-guide unit comprising a support, a base pivotally mounted on said support between a front collar and a rear collar each of which is rigidly but removably attached to said support, said base being provided with an opening through which said support passes, a thread guide held rigidly in position in said base, a stop in said base, and at least two pins in said rear collar, said stop and pins being so positioned that the said stop and one of said pins can maintain the said guide in its normal operating position, and the said stop and another of said pins restricting the movement of said guide when it is swung to a non-operating position.

10. Apparatus suitable for use in continuously drying a wet thread comprising rotatable drying means including a pair of spaced, converging, drying rolls adapted to receive and support the wet'thread at the feed-on end and to advance it, while under tension, in a helical path toward the take-ofi end; and a thread-guide unit com prising a support having a front stop and a rear stop, a base, means for pivotally mounting said base on said support, a thread guide held rigidly in position at the front end of said base, the backward movement of the said guide being restricted by the said rear stop when the said guide is in normal operating position, and the forward movement of the said thread guide being restricted by the said front stop when the said guide is swung forward, said thread guide, when in operation, maintaining contact with the dry thread on one side of the said spaced rolls and keeping it in a fixed position with respect to its point of discharge, in a relaxed state, from the opposite end of said rolls.

11. Apparatus comprising, in combination, rotatable drying means including a pair of spaced, converging, drying rolls adapted to receive and support a wet thread at the feed-on end and to advance it, while under tension, in a helical path toward the take-0E end; a heattreating furnace in operative relationship with the takeoff end of said drying rolls and which is adapted to receive the dry thread for passage therethrough in a re laxed state, said furnace being separate from the said dry-ing rolls; and a thread-guide unit comprising a sup port-,.-abase:pivota1ly mounted on said support between at: front collar and a' rear collar each of which is rigidly bntremovablyattachedto'said support, said base beingprovided with" an opening. through which said support passes,- athread' guide held rigidly in position in said base, a stop in said base, and at least two pins: in said rear c01- larsaid stop and pins being so positioned that the said stop ancioneof said pins: can maintain the said guide in its nonnal operating position, and the said stop and anotherof said pins restricting the movement of said guide when. it is swung-toa non-operating position, said thread guide, when in operation; maintaining contact with the dry thread on one side ofthe-said paced rolls and keepingiit in a fixed-position with respect to-th'e point of discharge, in a relmred-statmfrom the opposite side oi said rolls;

1-2. -Appar'atus comprising, in combination, rotatable drying mean's includingapair of spaced, converging, dry-' in'g-;roll's adapted to receive and supporta wet thread at thefeed-on end and to advance it, While under tension,

in a'helical path toward the take-off end; aheat-treat-ing furnace in operative relationship with the take-off end of said drying rolls and which is adapted to receive the dry: thread for passage therethrough in a relaxed state, said furnace being separate from the said drying rolls;

and? a threadguide 1111i? comprising a support having; a front'st'op, and a rear. stop,- a base, means for pivotally mounting s'a'icbb'ase' on'said supp'or't, a; thre'adguide held rigidly in position at the front end of said base, the backward'moven'aent of the said giiide beingrestric'ted by the said rear stop when the said guide isin normal opera-tingv position; and the forward movement of the said thread guide being restricted by the saidfront stop when the'said guide is swung: forward, said thread guide, when in operation; maintaining-contact with thedry thread on one side of the said spaced roll's'and keeping it in a fixed position with-respect to'its point of. discharge, in a relaxed state, from the opposite end of said rolls.

References Cited-in the file of this patent UN lTED STATES PATENTS 1,820,621 Jbnk'e'rsf Aug. 25; 1931 1,960,743 Junkers m May 29, 1934 2,002,996 Hoefifighiiff ef al; May 28, 1935 2,129,273 Hartrnan'n et al. Sept. 6, 1938 2,162,727 Kline June 20, 1939 2,204,603 Kline et a1. June 18, 1940 255 8733 cresswell et a1. July 3, 1951 

